HPHT Drilling Design and Operations

This course has been designed to help drilling engineering professionals understand the technologies, terminology, challenges, concepts, processes, and equipment used to drill High Pressure and High Temperature oil and gas wells.

The course follows a typical HPHT operation and provides an understanding of the geological settings through well planning, drilling operations and well control challenges to the completion challenges in HPHT wells. Critical HPHT challenges are addressed in detail during the course. Some of the solutions such as managed pressure drilling are addressed with a focus on the issues that are being solved.

This course will be a mix of video presentations, power points, and discussions, along with group exercises to discuss the challenges encountered in an HPHT program. At the end of the course, the participants should understand the complexities associated with HPHT operations and will gain an understanding of issues that must be addressed when drilling HPHT wells.

This course addresses HPHT drilling issues and challenges. Participants will be expected to know many of the common conventional drilling technologies. The course does not address common drilling engineering such as trajectory design, casing design, mud systems, hole cleaning, or ballooning. However, where the HPHT environment has an effect on these drilling processes the course will highlight those specific issues.

Agenda

Audience

Prerequisites

Agenda

Day 1

HPHT History and Challenges and the Geological Settings

Defining the HPHT Environment

HPHT Challenges and associated Standards and Practices

Geology in the HPHT Environment

HPHT Reservoirs

On the first day we will set the HPHT environment by looking back at the history of drilling these deep hot wells. The class will be presented with the challenges associated with the HPHT environment and look at what standards and regulations apply to these HPHT wells. This is followed by a more detailed introduction of the geological aspects of the HPHT wells. Pressure ramps, increased temperatures and the various issues associated with HPHT geology will be presented. Next participants will look at the overburden, pore pressures, fracture pressures and temperatures associated with HPHT as this explains the critical differences between HPHT and normal drilling operations.

Day 2

Well Design

Casing Design and Tubular Selection

Shoe Placement

Annular Pressure build up and Thermal De-rating

Casing Wear, H2S and CO2 Effects

Cementing Challenges and Practices

The second day we look at the well design aspects of HPHT wells. Trajectories, together with casing design and the associated issues in these high temperature environments will be addressed. Annular pressure buildup as well as temperature effects on the tubulars will be presented. Candidates will then presented with the sour gas effects in HPHT environments and then we look at the challenges and solutions when cementing HPHT wells.

Day 3

Fluids and Well Control

Drilling Fluid Aspects

Gas Solubility

Elastomers

Well Control, Ballooning, Wellbore Breathing

Gas Expansion

Well Control Procedures

On day three, participants will be introduced to the fluids and gasses encountered in HPHT wells. The aspects of drilling fluids and reservoir fluids are addressed and issues such as temperature stability, gas solubility, compressibility, elastomer ratings and operations aspects of drilling fluids will be covered. Once the fluids are understood we move onto the well control aspects, where we look at gas expansion, ballooning, losses, well control procedures and cover some of the operational aspects such as tripping, stripping and making connections.

Day 4

Rig Surface Equipment and Drilling Operations

Surface Equipment for HPHT

Downhole Equipment Challenges

Managed Pressure Drilling

Finger Printing and Drilling Practices

Contingency Planning

Well Control Emergencies

During the fourth day participants will take a closer look at all of the surface and down hole equipment that is being used in HPHT drilling operations. We will see why rig equipment as well as downhole equipment needs to be reviewed, inspected and selected based on the specific well requirements. We then look at the drilling practices and drilling technologies that are being used in HPHT wells, this includes Managed Pressure Drilling. The class then moves on to contingency planning and well control emergencies and this will introduce the candidates to aspects of emergencies and the various well control issues that can be encountered whilst drilling HPHT wells.

Day 5

Completions and Well Testing

HPHT Completions

Design Considerations

Component Selection and Specifications

Tubing Leak Contingencies

HPHT Well testing

Operational Testing Considerations

Well testing Safety

The final day will be spent looking at completion and well testing issues for HPHT wells. Participants will discuss what needs to be addressed for completion and testing operations and the safety aspects associated with production of HPHT wells. The class will finish with some examples of challenges that have been encountered when producing HPHT wells.

Audience

Drilling professionals with well design and operations experience desiring an understanding of the challenges faced in the HPHT drilling environment. This class can serve as an introduction to both early career and experienced drilling professionals for HPHT drilling technology.

Prerequisites

Participants must have a comprehension and understanding of well design, well construction operations, and management which will be necessary to grasp the concepts and challenges faced in the High Pressure and High Temperature environments. Participants need to be familiar with and understand basic geomechanics, drilling operations, well placement, well planning, and drilling fluids basics. An understanding of well control concepts and procedures is a plus.